Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Vishwam Sankaran

New lineage of giant tortoises discovered in Galápagos Islands by scientists from museum samples

Ecuador Environment Ministry

A new species of giant tortoise has been discovered in the Galapagos Islands after scientists found animals living on one side of the archipelago had not previously been recorded.

The study, published last week in the journal Heredity, assessed the DNA of tortoise bone museum samples collected from the highlands of the San Cristóbal island over a century ago and compared them with those of giant tortoises currently living on the island.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.